STUDY ON PRAYER: Every year, during the season of Lent, our church offers an additional study series as a supplement to the regular small groups and classes that meet weekly. This year it’s a six-week conversation about prayer, anchored by what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

All three pastors are involved. Rebekah kicked things off yesterday evening with an overview and some great stories, then several people shared where they are, currently, in their prayer life, as well as where they’d like to be by the time Lent is over.

GROWTH CURVE: This idea of “where I’d like to be” in terms of relationship with God is – for me – a very helpful lens through which to look at what becomes possible when we engage the “sacred rhythm” of the Christian year as a purposeful journey.

Realistically, my relationship with God – and probably yours too – doesn’t transcribe an ever-increasing upward curve of positive progress. I’m alternately “hot” and “cold,” enthusiastic and lethargic, motivated and stuck, full with vibrant life and then struggling to believe.

This is where a time such as the 40 days of Lent (plus six Sundays) can become such a God-send of intentional and cultivated spiritual progress. Rebekah has just finished a sermon series around the idea of “Growing up in Christ,” in which she talked about being mature disciples; what better time to put some of those principles and intentions into practice than the season of Lent?

JUST FOR FUN: So we were reading The Lord’s Prayer together, and I suddenly remember the version I wrote – years ago – for some young dads in Pensacola. Here it is:

We’re the Fathers who aren’t from Heaven, “Harassed” is our name. We have no kingdom and our will’s never done; not on earth, not at home, not at the grocery store, not in the car… Most of us need to cut back on our daily bread, and we’re up to our eyeballs in debts. Lead us not into beer with stuffed-crust pizza, and deliver us from kids who have tantrums in public places. For we have no kingdom, no power, and no glory, not ever – at least until the kids leave home for college. Amen.

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The Life-Charged Life (This blog's home)

About Me

Life is good. It's about living in partnership with my wife, Rebekah, about serving God in the context of our church home, about being the parent of two amazing children, and of both honing and using my particular gifts in order to make this world a better place.